Reverence for Life Sunday will be marked on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026 in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon.

“Day of Prayer for Reverence for Life” – Message from Bishop Mark Hagemoen PDF

Bishop Mark Hagemoen of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon each year declares the last Sunday of January as a day of prayer for Reverence for Life, coinciding with the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Morgentaler decision which removed all legal limits to abortion in Canada. Bishop Hagemoen will celebrate Mass on Reverence for Life Sunday, Jan. 25 at 9 a.m. at the Cathedral of the Holy Family, 123 Nelson Road, Saskatoon, available via live-stream at https://saskatoonmass.com

Message from Bishop Hagemoen for Reverence for Life Sunday:

Dear Clergy, Religious, & Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Saskatoon:

The day of prayer for Reverence for Life will be celebrated in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon on Sunday, January 25, 2026, providing our faith communities with an opportunity for prayers, reflection and discussion about the value of the precious gift of human life. I send this message on the Sunday when we also celebrate Sunday of the Word of God. Indeed, the Word of God has so much to say on this topic. In this brief letter I share with you two of my favorite scripture passages.

The first is from the Prophet Jeremiah (1:5) “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” This has always inspired me about the preciousness of each human person – right from the beginning of our existence in our mother’s womb. This passage is also an affirmation of God’s special plan for each of us as we are called to life.

The second passage is from John’s Gospel (10:10): “I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly.” This is part of the “Jesus the Good Shepherd” narrative. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. The Lord is the ‘foolish shepherd’ who leaves the 99 sheep who are safe and seeks out the 1 who is lost. He does this because the sheep are not merely a task or a source of an economic living, but are those with whom the shepherd has a deep relationship with.

As we look at the current circumstances of our times, we see so many contradictions to the value of the dignity of the human person and community. We continue to experience terrible conflicts in many parts of the world. We also continue to experience shallow and narrow attitudes to human dignity and flourishing. In these times of reflecting on the prayer of St. Francis, “Lord, make me a channel of your peace,” we continue to hear this prayer in terms of bringing shalom and care of the vulnerable, and especially with regards to the protection and care for the unborn, our elders, and critically ill in our communities.

AN INSENSITVE & UTILITARIAN CULTURE Contributes to SINS AGAINST HUMAN LIFE

Each year I point out in this letter that Canada continues to deal with the tragic repercussions of the removal of abortion from the Criminal Code. We now mark the 38th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada decision in the Morgentaler case on January 28, 1988, which removed all remaining restrictions on abortion in Canada. Unfortunately applauded by many in our society, this moment in our nation’s history holds within it the tragic reality of millions of lost lives. Victims of abortion include the unborn children who are killed, but also the mothers, fathers and families left wounded after an abortion. The community – indeed our nation – are also weakened and damaged as the weakest and most vulnerable among us are not valued and protected.

Pope Leo ushered in this New Year 2026 with a renewed appeal for all of God’s people to make a firm commitment to respect and protect human life, in each and every person and circumstance we find the other. In his Jan. 1, 2025 homily last year, the late Pope Francis also called for a renewed commitment and a new hope:

“I ask for a firm commitment to respect the dignity of human life from conception to natural death, so that each person may cherish his or her own life and all may look with hope to the future…”  (see +Pope Francis’ Homily on Solemnity of Mary Mother of God Jan. 1 2025)

Let us continue to remember Pope Francis’s words, as we face in Canada voices seeking the expansion of access to doctor assisted suicide, also known as “Medical Assistance in Dying” or “MAiD”:

“The victims of this [throwaway] culture are precisely the weakest and most fragile human beings – the unborn, the poorest, the sick and elderly, the seriously handicapped, etc. – who are in danger of being ‘thrown away’, expelled from a system that must be efficient at all costs.” (See: +Francis’ Address to a Delegation from the Dignitatus Humanae Institute, Dec. 7, 2013)

Perhaps the conclusion of the Jubilee Year of Hope can inspire the world to not only beg forgiveness for grave sins against our brothers and sisters of the world, but can also be a time of a renewed commitment to hope as we make concrete steps to repair the great damage of our uncaring.

The CARE FOR CREATION stands alongside of God’s most precious creation of Human Life: LIFE IN THE WOMB & CARING FOR OUR ELDERS

Pope Francis continually highlighted that respect for creation and for human dignity are issues that are only realized together. As he states in his 2023 Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum:

“Everything is connected …no one is saved alone” (#19)  “To recognize… that human life is incomprehensible and unsustainable without other creatures. As part of the universe… all of us are linked by unseen bonds and together form a kind of universal family, a sublime communion which fills us with a sacred, affectionate and humble respect.” (#67)  [See: Laudato Deum, October 4, 2023] 

The Gospel’s moral and social teaching calls on all people of good will to bring to bear intellectual, social, and political consciousness on the blatant inconsistency that is affecting the well-being and flourishing of human cultures through our world. This effort is at the service of every person on the planet! If we do not engage in calling each other to a greater and fuller humanity, we should then not be surprised at the larger deterioration of a culture of human care and respect – which affects all creation.

The Recovery of the HUMAN HEART in our WORLD

In his message on the World Day of Prayer for Peace of January 1, 2026, Pope Leo extolls the world to work hard for peace by “…preferring listening and, where possible, engaging with others…” This is hard work and calls for steady, disciplined, and unwavering commitment to life! Pope Leo calls the world to deal with present-day conflicts by avoiding the temptation to “fight fire with fire.” The crucial gospel alternative is to work towards a disarming peace.  This is a peace the world cannot give, a peace that only God gives (see John 14:27). This teaching is an important guide in our pro-life work. As he states,

“Goodness is disarming. Perhaps this is why God became a child. The mystery of the Incarnation, which reaches its deepest descent even to the realm of the dead, begins in the womb of a young mother and is revealed in the manger in Bethlehem. …Nothing has the power to change us as much as a child. Perhaps it is precisely the thought of our children and of others who are equally fragile, that cuts to the heart (cf. Acts 2:37).”

Quoting Pope Francis, Pope Leo in his message on the World Day of Prayer for Peace (Jan. 1, 2026) reflected on human fragility as a means by which God brings conversion, healing, and new insight.

“…human fragility has the power to make us more lucid about what endures and what passes, what brings life and what kills. Perhaps for this reason, we so often tend to deny our limitations and avoid fragile and wounded people: they have the power to question the direction we have chosen, both as individuals and as a community.”  (See Pope Leo XIV Message for 59th World Day of Peace Jan. 1, 2026)

The biblical teaching of the Church’s preferential option for the poor, the needy, and the stranger – extolls all people of good will to see human fragility not as a weakness or defect – but rather a human quality and circumstance that calls us to greater care, compassion, and …duty!

Failing to recognize that right to life of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable has left our country damaged – not only in the missing and lost lives of millions of unborn children – but also in removing ‘the heart’ from our society. Many people today experience the loss of heart when they lose the sense of their own humanity when they no longer feel “useful” because of ill-health or aging. Persons who are older or are dealing with disabilities increasingly feel that they are a “problem” to their families and those on whom we rely for care.

The “loss of heart” is the root cause of so many other evils in our world today. On this day let us pray and commit to stop this erosion of heart – and be renewed in the restoration of heart by holding steady to the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: the Sacred Heart for our world. As the late Pope Francis concluded in his New Year’s Day 2025 homily:

“May we learn to care for every child born of a woman, above all by protecting, like Mary, the precious gift of life: life in the womb, the lives of children, the lives of the suffering, the poor, the elderly, the lonely and the dying…All of us are invited to take   up the summons that flows from the maternal heart of Mary: we are called to cherish life, to care for wounded lives — so many wounded lives, so many — to restore dignity to the lives of everyone” because it is the basis for building a culture of peace…” (See +Pope Francis’ Homily on Solemnity of Mary Mother of God Jan. 1 2025)

Sisters and Brothers, we continue to pray that as a people and nation we may re-discover our heart!

Yours in Christ,

Most Rev. Mark A Hagemoen, Bishop of Saskatoon

 

Reverence for Life Prayer:

Almighty God, giver of all that is good, we thank you for the precious gift of human life: For life in the womb, coming from your creative power, For the life of children, making us glad with their freshness and promise, For the life of young people, hoping for a better world, For the life of people who are disabled, teaching us that every life has value, For the life of the elderly, witnessing to the ageless values of patience and wisdom. Like Blessed Mary, may we always say “yes” to Your gift. Help us to realize the sacredness of human life and to respect and cherish it from conception to its natural end. And bring us at last, O Father, to the fullness of eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN

Prière

Dieu Tout-Puissant, donateur de tout ce qui est bon, nous te remercions pour le don précieux de la vie humaine:Pour la vie dans le sein maternel, provenant de ton pouvoir créatif, Pour la vie des enfants, nous rendant heureux de leur fraîcheur et de leur promesse, Pour la vie des jeunes, espérant pour un monde formidable, Pour la vie des personnes qui sont handicapées, nous apprenant que toute vie a de la valeur, Pour la vie des personnes âgées, témoignant des valeurs intemporelles de patience et de sagesse. Comme la bienheureuse Marie, puissions-nous toujours dire “oui” à Ton don. Aide-nous à réaliser le caractère sacré de la vie humaine, à la respecter et à la chérir de la conception à sa fin naturelle. Et amène-nous enfin, ô Père, à la plénitude de la vie éternelle en Jésus-Christ notre Seigneur. AMEN

 

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“The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity not only reminds us that Jesus Christ is the One Saviour of all peoples and nations, but also that there is great blessing and new life when those of many families of faith come together in wonder, praise, and commitment to follow the One true Lord and Saviour.” – Bishop Mark Hagemoen, message for Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026

 Bishop Mark Hagemoen Message for WPCU 2026 – PDF   

Events during WPCU – LINK   

To Clergy, Religious, & Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Saskatoon:

During the week of January 18 to 25, our diocese joins with Christians around the world to celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This year’s theme is based on the biblical passage from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling.” (Ephesians 4:4) Having just concluded the Jubilee Year of Hope, we are reminded that our shared goal and expectation for all Christians is life with the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a promise that unites all Christians to a common purpose and destiny.

This “one hope” is a not an optional or partial feature, but is a spiritual reality already established by God’s revelation and action in our world. St. Paul will go on in Ephesians 4 to call all striving to follow and imitate Christ to strive for such unity through humility, gentleness, patience, and love; making an effort to preserve the bond of peace created by the Holy Spirit. All are called to build unity and peace, and to avoid causing divisions.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026 offers an invitation to draw on this shared heritage and to enter more deeply into the faith that unites all Christians. In the words of Pope Leo, “By receiving the Lord’s peace, and accepting His call – which includes being open to the gifts of the Holy Spirit – all the followers of Jesus can immerse themselves in the radical newness of Christian faith and life.”[1]

Our striving for unity among our Christian brothers and sisters is both a personal journey of deepening conversion, and a witness to a world of much brokenness, division, and strife.

As we prepare to celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we are asked to reflect on the following questions:

1. How does Jesus Christ – who is the resurrection and the life – inspire and call each of us to be channels of His hope, peace, and charity for the world?
2. How can we live our unity as Christians so as to confront the evils and injustices of our time?
3. How can we engage in dialogue – for the sake of increased awareness and insight about one another’s experiences of the journey from brokenness to forgiveness, healing, and new life?

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity not only reminds us that Jesus Christ is the One Saviour of all peoples and nations, but also that there is great blessing and new life when those of many families of faith come together in wonder, praise, and commitment to follow the One true Lord and Saviour.

For further information and resources, please see the attached resource jointly prepared and published by the Pontifical Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, and the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches. For this and other material, you can also go to:

https://www.christianunity.va/content/unitacristiani/en/settimana-di-preghiera-per-l-unita/semaine-de-priere-pour-l-unite-des-chretiens-20241/anglais.html

https://www.weekofprayer.ca/

In the words adapted from the resources available for this week, let us pray:

Let us glorify Almighty God, who has shined his light upon his creatures. Now, may he once more shine his abundant mercy upon those who glorify his name… Loving Lord, accept the prayers of all your faithful children throughout the world, who call out to you with one mind, one voice, and one heart. Through your beloved disciple John, you promised that if we walk in your light, then we will have communion with one another, and your precious blood will cleanse us of all sin. Bring us that blessed communion, O Saviour!

Grant us peace, O Loving Lord, and remove the scourge of civil unrest and violence from the face of the earth. Change the hearts of all who make war and touch the wounds of all who are afflicted by war. Comfort all prisoners of war and speedily bring them home. Let the light of your love shine in all the dark places of our world and hasten the day when all peoples may dwell in peace with justice.

…Strengthen our hearts in expectation and hope as we work for unity and together seek the harmony of all people and creation. Let us be burning lamps, until the day of the coming of your Son in glory, with all his saints in the everlasting kingdom. Blessed are you, now and forever, and to the ages of ages. AMEN

As we begin this New Year 2026 and look to live the fruits of that past Jubilee Year of Hope, let us renew our commitment to the goal and work of ecumenism.

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[1] Address, “To the Participants in the Commemoration of 500 years of the Anabaptist Movement” May 23, 2025.

Bishop Mark Hagemoen has announced a number of pastoral assignments and clergy updates in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon, with most of the appointments effective July 31, 2025.

“We will announce further appointments and arrival details as soon as these are confirmed,” Hagemoen said in the message sent to parishes, priests, and leaders on June 5.

Bishop Hagemoen’s June 5 Pastoral Assignment Letter – PDF

Currently serving the parishes at Biggar and Landis, Fr. Edward Gibney is appointed Pastor of St. Philip Neri Parish, Saskatoon, as Fr. Doug Jeffrey, OMI, (who has been serving as Parochial Administrator at St. Philip Neri) has concluded his assignment in the diocese.

Currently serving the parishes at Muenster, Pilger, and Burr, Fr. Paul Oshin will be the new Pastor at St. Gabriel Parish, Biggar, and Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Landis.

As part of structural reorganization, Fr. Colin Roy is appointed Pastor of St. Peter Parish, Muenster; St. Scholastica Parish, Burr; and Holy Trinity Parish, Pilger, in addition to continuing in his role as Pastor of St. Augustine of Canterbury Parish, Humboldt.

Fr. Colin Roy will be assisted by a priest new to our diocese, Fr. Frank Offin-Sekyere, who is appointed as Parochial Vicar (the proper canonical title for an “associate pastor”) of the four parishes at Humboldt, Muenster, Pilger, and Burr.

Currently serving the parish of St. John Bosco in Saskatoon, Fr. Marvin Lishchynsky has been appointed Pastor of Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish, Saskatoon.  He will also be reappointed as Judicial Vicar of the diocese for a five-year term.

A priest new to our diocese, Fr. Isaac Mensah, is appointed as Pastor of St. John Bosco Parish, Saskatoon  and St. Francis Xavier Parish, Vanscoy, as well as Parochial Vicar of St. Mary Parish, Saskatoon, where he will assist St. Mary Pastor, Fr. Kevin McGee.

 

Fr. Richard Philiposki, S.Chr., will conclude his current assignment as Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish, Saskatoon and Parochial Administrator of St. Francis Xavier Parish, Vanscoy.  When in Saskatoon, Philiposki will continue to assist periodically with pastoral work at Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish, Saskatoon.

Fr. Arnold Bolima is appointed the Parochial Vicar of St. Mark Parish at Langham, serving with the current Pastor, Fr. Peter Ebidero.  Bolima continues to serve as Parochial Vicar at St. Patrick Parish, Saskatoon, and is also assigned to Catholic school pastoral ministry for the St Patrick Parish region.

 

Currently serving the parishes at Willkie, Handel and Leipzig, Fr. Rinesh Menambadath Chacko, VC, is appointed Pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Kerrobert; Our Lady of Grace Parish, Dodsland; St. Eugene de Mazenod Parish, Luseland; and Immaculate Conception Parish, Major.

The bishop noted that information about the pastoral care of St. James Parish, Wilkie; St. Mary Parish, Handel; and St. Paschal Parish, Leipzig will be announced shortly.

 

Recently returned to the diocese of Saskatoon, Fr. Daniel Louh, SMA, will serve as Pastor of St. Aloysius Parish, Allan; St. Alphonse Parish, Viscount; and St. Mary Parish, Colonsay. He will also assist with hospital chaplaincy in Saskatoon.

 

 

Reorganization of the Pastoral Care of Parishes in Deaneries:

A need for the reorganization and restructuring of some parish clusters has also brought a number of changes in pastoral appointments.

Fr. John Abban-Bonsu, is appointed as the Pastor of Holy Rosary Parish, LeRoy. He continues to be Pastor of St. Anthony Parish, Lake Lenore; St. Ann Parish, Annaheim; and St. Gregory Parish, St. Gregor.

Fr. Francis Akomeah, is appointed Pastor of St. George Parish, Naicam and St. Front Parish, St. Front, in addition to continuing to serve as Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Watson; St. Catherine Parish, Quill Lake; and Holy Guardian Angels Parish, Englefeld.

Fr. Jerome Ogunleye is now the Pastor of Christ the King Parish, Rose Valley, St. Felix Parish, Archerwill; St. Lawrence Parish, Nobleville; and St. Athanasius Parish, Perigord. He will also continue to serve as Pastor of St. Mary Parish, Wadena; St. Joseph Parish, Kelvington; St. Theresa Parish, Lintlaw; and Mary Queen of Poland Parish, Fosston.

Bishop Hagemoen also acknowledged and thanked clergy who are completing their assignments in the diocese of Saskatoon.

In addition to Fr. Doug Jeffrey, OMI, and Fr. Fr. Richard Philiposki, S.Chr., (noted above), other priests leaving the diocese are Fr. Charles Nweze, who has been serving parishes in the Kerrobert area, and who is now joining the Canadian military as chaplain, and Fr. John Ezeoruonye, who has been serving parishes in the St. Front area, and who is returning to the Archdiocese of Onitsha in Nigeria.

 

 

 

Fr. Luke Tran, who was ordained in October, will be temporarily serving in the Diocese of Calgary for a two-year term.

 

“Please join in gratitude and prayer for all of these clergy and their ministries in our diocese,” said the bishop. “We ask for God’s blessings on them as they move forward to new assignments and endeavours.”

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